The MiCA license (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) transition period ends on 1 July, and there will be significant changes for CASP’s (Crypto Asset Service Providers). We at Relai EU SASU have been fully compliant with the MiCA guidelines from the start, but we wanted to highlight potential changes among other providers in this post.
In this article, you will find out what the deadline means for you as a Relai customer, a heads up, not a lot will change, why you may read more about companies leaving the market for a short period, and why we were eager to transition to a fully EU-regulated entity two years ago.
What is MiCA?
MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) is the EU’s comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto-assets, which has been fully applicable since December 2024.
It establishes uniform rules across all 27 member states covering authorization, governance, consumer protection, and operational requirements for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), replacing the previous patchwork of national regimes with a single passportable license.
Relai has already secured its MiCA-license from the French Financial Market Authority, which allows it to passport its services across the EU under a single harmonized framework.
This puts Relai ahead of providers still navigating the transition and complements the company’s existing Swiss regulatory standing under VQF/FINMA. For European Bitcoin users, that translates to a clear, compliant on-ramp backed by both EU and Swiss oversight.
What’s Changing on 1 July?
1 July 2026 marks the end of MiCA’s transitional period across the entire EU and EEA that began 18 months ago when the framework was fully applied on 30 December 2024.
After 1 July, the grandfathering arrangement that allows firms to continue operating under their old national licenses will be phased out entirely. Any entity operating without the required MiCA authorization will be doing so illegally and could face future fines.
Crucially, there’s no grace period for pending applications. There is no “pending” status that allows a firm to continue operating while its application is under review.
The market impact is striking. Only around 210 of the 1,200-plus entities that held pre-MiCA national registrations have converted to full CASP authorization, a conversion rate of roughly 17%.
Firms that haven’t secured a MiCA-license face a narrow set of options: obtain a license, stop operating, pursue an orderly wind-down, transfer clients to an authorized CASP, or merge with a license holder.
And there have already been the first famous examples, like Binance, which had to withdraw its MiCA license in Greece and is pursuing another country where it can reapply. For now, Binance users have to wait for further communication from Binance about the next steps or withdraw to a fully licensed MiCA partner for their digital assets needs.
Does This Affect Relai Users?
This is where Relai’s early positioning pays off. With the MiCA authorization already held by Relai EU SASU through the French regulatory body AMF since late October 2025, Relai’s European users are on the right side of the deadline.
While much of the market faces wind-downs and forced client migrations, Relai continues to serve EU customers without interruption.
For our Swiss users, this doesn’t impact your day-to-day operations within the Relai app either, as we are fully licensed in our home market with a standing under VQF/FINMA.
You are using an app built to last. Your friends might not be.
While it’s great news for you as a Relai user that you’re not affected by the deadline, there is obviously the occasional friend who may need help. Which is where we are happy to help out!
First and foremost, make sure to forward this blog post to them, so they understand the breakdown of the new rules.
In a second step, if they want to continue buying Bitcoin with a fully self-custodial, MiCA-licensed partner, nudge them to download the Relai app. Either on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
If they need help setting up the account or have general questions, we have many tutorials on our YouTube channel.
And lastly, help them out by lowering their fees by 10% if they use your referral code. This way, they pay fewer fees, and you get a thank-you from us, paid to your Relai wallet in Bitcoin.
If you want to find out more about our referral program, click here: https://relai.app/earn/
Or, if they want to speak to a human, tell them not to hesitate and to either reach us on social media (X, LinkedIn, Instagram) or via the chat bubble on the right with our support team.
Disclaimer: Relai is authorized to offer crypto asset services in Switzerland and throughout the European Union under the MiCA regulatory framework. The company is actively expanding its services to EU member states upon completion of passporting notifications.
